Meryl Arrives Back in the USA and We Have a Family Thanksgiving in Up-State New York
Saturday 19 Nov to Fri 26 Nov 05
Meryl arrived safely back and I met her at Newark last Saturday, 19 Nov.
To get there, I drove for 5 hours from our friend’s home at Alexandria, VA, about 250 miles, to Newark and got there about half an hour before Meryl came through the gate. Just in time to go to the loo/bathroom and buy a Welcome Home balloon to add to the dozen red roses I had already bought her!
Then it was on another 200 miles, 4 hours, to Toby’s, where we arrived safely about 10.30 p.m – very tired and, for Meryl, jet lagged!
Charles had arrived safely several hours previously from Amsterdam via Paris (CDG) and Montreal. Both his and Meryl’s flights had been delayed several hours by fog in UK and on the Continent. His was a cheaper flight than flying to a US airport. He rented a large family car there (a Lincoln Town Car – very large and smart!) and drove a shorter distance than we had to drive from Newark!
On Sunday, we remembered my father’s birthday and gave thanks for his life. He would have been 100 years old and was the Grandpa Charles whom Charles and Toby never had the privilege and blessing of knowing.
Since Sunday we have rested and recovered, practiced at being a family again, done some local shopping, and had a great family Thanksgiving Day yesterday with all of us and JoAnn’s mum and dad.
It was also Charles’s 33rd birthday and the first time for a long time this has been on T Day. We had a very nice time, a lovely late afternoon banquet around Toby’s kitchen table (extended by two extra individual portable tables), watched Charles unwrap his birthday presents, laughed our way hilariously through a film called Johnny English, talked family talk and were challenged as to our cultural ethics by a very well made film called The Crash.
Although it was warmer earlier in the week, it went very cold yesterday and we had about 2 inches of Thanksgiving Day snow, ice and wind – well below freezing. Today is the same temperature but very sunny and total blue skies.
On Tuesday evening we spent a couple of hours with Toby and JoAnn’s real estate agent, who like us, has dual UK/US nationality. She originally came from Newcastle on Tyne to the US via Switzerland and Israel in 1979.
T&J heard that they can get and finance their mortgage in the way they want to and so they signed some paperwork and made an offer to the current owners of the place they like. The offer was countered on Wednesday, at a smaller increase in purchase price than T&J anticipated. So they accepted the counter and the sale is going ahead, hopefully to a smooth completion and move by about mid-January. T&J – indeed, all of us – are very excited about owning their first home. Although it needs some attention on the outside, it is very good inside and a good buy at the agreed price. Hopefully, we may get to see the inside later today.
This evening, Friday 26 Nov 05, we drove 20 miles or so to Albany and watched an AHL ice hockey game between Albany River Rats and Philadelphia Phantoms (1-2 to Philly). We got home soon after 10 p.m. and had a traditional English Christmas Pudding with custard for dessert. It is Toby’s favorite and we will not be here for Christmas, so we had it early!
Tomorrow (Saturday) morning Charles leaves to drive back to Montreal for his overnight flight back to Amsterdam and we leave to drive home to Chesapeake, VA. Meryl and I will try and drive the 600 miles (12 hours) home in one go so as to get back and rest before a friend from Florida comes to stay for a night or so on Sunday evening. We will see how that works out and will stop overnight somewhere if needs be.
Charles flies to London on Monday morning for his routine fortnightly 2 day business trip to supervise the Chello office there. Quickly back into his busy, demanding work schedule! Our week is also likely to be busy with meetings for Freedom Fest and other things happening in addition to getting ready to go to England for Christmas and New Year in mid-December.
We have spoken on the phone to Grandma Beryl several times this week and she was very pleased to hear from T&J about the house and to speak to Charles on his birthday. She seems to be OK within her existing limitations, so hopefully will be all right for a while. It will be better in another week or so when the Care worker situation becomes regularized and will arrive at a time that is more convenient to her and her preferred daily routine.
Praying that all goes well for y’all!
With Jesus love and blessings,
Noel and Meryl
http://noel.dawes.net
Meryl arrived safely back and I met her at Newark last Saturday, 19 Nov.
To get there, I drove for 5 hours from our friend’s home at Alexandria, VA, about 250 miles, to Newark and got there about half an hour before Meryl came through the gate. Just in time to go to the loo/bathroom and buy a Welcome Home balloon to add to the dozen red roses I had already bought her!
Then it was on another 200 miles, 4 hours, to Toby’s, where we arrived safely about 10.30 p.m – very tired and, for Meryl, jet lagged!
Charles had arrived safely several hours previously from Amsterdam via Paris (CDG) and Montreal. Both his and Meryl’s flights had been delayed several hours by fog in UK and on the Continent. His was a cheaper flight than flying to a US airport. He rented a large family car there (a Lincoln Town Car – very large and smart!) and drove a shorter distance than we had to drive from Newark!
On Sunday, we remembered my father’s birthday and gave thanks for his life. He would have been 100 years old and was the Grandpa Charles whom Charles and Toby never had the privilege and blessing of knowing.
Since Sunday we have rested and recovered, practiced at being a family again, done some local shopping, and had a great family Thanksgiving Day yesterday with all of us and JoAnn’s mum and dad.
It was also Charles’s 33rd birthday and the first time for a long time this has been on T Day. We had a very nice time, a lovely late afternoon banquet around Toby’s kitchen table (extended by two extra individual portable tables), watched Charles unwrap his birthday presents, laughed our way hilariously through a film called Johnny English, talked family talk and were challenged as to our cultural ethics by a very well made film called The Crash.
Although it was warmer earlier in the week, it went very cold yesterday and we had about 2 inches of Thanksgiving Day snow, ice and wind – well below freezing. Today is the same temperature but very sunny and total blue skies.
On Tuesday evening we spent a couple of hours with Toby and JoAnn’s real estate agent, who like us, has dual UK/US nationality. She originally came from Newcastle on Tyne to the US via Switzerland and Israel in 1979.
T&J heard that they can get and finance their mortgage in the way they want to and so they signed some paperwork and made an offer to the current owners of the place they like. The offer was countered on Wednesday, at a smaller increase in purchase price than T&J anticipated. So they accepted the counter and the sale is going ahead, hopefully to a smooth completion and move by about mid-January. T&J – indeed, all of us – are very excited about owning their first home. Although it needs some attention on the outside, it is very good inside and a good buy at the agreed price. Hopefully, we may get to see the inside later today.
This evening, Friday 26 Nov 05, we drove 20 miles or so to Albany and watched an AHL ice hockey game between Albany River Rats and Philadelphia Phantoms (1-2 to Philly). We got home soon after 10 p.m. and had a traditional English Christmas Pudding with custard for dessert. It is Toby’s favorite and we will not be here for Christmas, so we had it early!
Tomorrow (Saturday) morning Charles leaves to drive back to Montreal for his overnight flight back to Amsterdam and we leave to drive home to Chesapeake, VA. Meryl and I will try and drive the 600 miles (12 hours) home in one go so as to get back and rest before a friend from Florida comes to stay for a night or so on Sunday evening. We will see how that works out and will stop overnight somewhere if needs be.
Charles flies to London on Monday morning for his routine fortnightly 2 day business trip to supervise the Chello office there. Quickly back into his busy, demanding work schedule! Our week is also likely to be busy with meetings for Freedom Fest and other things happening in addition to getting ready to go to England for Christmas and New Year in mid-December.
We have spoken on the phone to Grandma Beryl several times this week and she was very pleased to hear from T&J about the house and to speak to Charles on his birthday. She seems to be OK within her existing limitations, so hopefully will be all right for a while. It will be better in another week or so when the Care worker situation becomes regularized and will arrive at a time that is more convenient to her and her preferred daily routine.
Praying that all goes well for y’all!
With Jesus love and blessings,
Noel and Meryl
http://noel.dawes.net
posted by Noel Dawes | 11:24 PM
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